Staying
by SuspianFeels
Summary: "The monster in your head, won't surface again. Be still my child, wash away the sin. And I as future king, walk off the edge. Hold me by my name, hold me till the end." CHRIS MARKER/OC. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. [THE FEAR-THE FALLEN]
1. Full Summary

**Name:** Staying

 **Summary:** ❝The monster in your head, won't surface again. Be still my child, wash away the sin. And I as future king, walk off the edge. Hold me by my name, hold me till the end.❞

Luna Grant wasn't a warrior or a hero; she was just a kid at the wrong place at the wrong time.

After the disaster, she'd tried to survive at her ballet studio – the only place she ever really felt safe – but was quickly evacuated by a group of kids who lived at the Natural History Museum and was taken to safety.

There, she met the quiet and book centred Chris Marker and the pair made a connection that nobody could explain, nor attempt to break apart.

Only this world is never kind to kids who don't fight for what they want.

 **Pairing:** Chris Marker/OC

 **Rating:** T – for mild bad language, some violence, mild blood and gore, mentions and depictions of death – RATING MAY GO UP.

 **Genre:** Romance/Tragedy

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing used, except for the idea for this story and my OCs. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

 **Story song:** Staying by Koda.

 **Author's note:** Chris needs more love so imma give him his own fanfic with a lil bae. This is probably going to be pretty short since my patience is short. Like Monster, this story isn't going to feature Adelaide or Dorothy so sorry to disappoint. I haven't decided on a face claim this time; couldn't find one that I liked or suited Luna so there isn't one this time.

This will be really short - basically two or three chapters, just to pass the time for now. Hope you enjoy!

But without babbling on too long, on with the story.

* * *

Staying; Koda

Homesick; Dua Lipa

The Scientist; Coldplay

Gone; Bebe Rexha

Medicine; Daughter

Nothing Compares 2 You; Sinéad O'Connor

Into The New World (Ballad Version); Girls' Generation

Summertime Sadness; Lana Del Rey

Dauðalogn; Sigur Rós

Unsteady; X Ambassadors

Cynics vs Dreamers; Zella Day

The Power of Love; Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Talking to the Moon; Bruno Mars

Downtown; Allie X

Varúð; Sigur Rós

Saturn; Sleeping at Last

Above and Below; The Bravery

Some Die Young; Laleh

Not About Angels; Birdy

Immortal; Marina and the Diamonds

Mr. Sandman; SYML

Dynasty; MIIA

Hurts Like Hell; Fleurie

The Night We Met; Lord Huron

November Rain; Guns N' Roses

* * *

"Take me to the place where the aromatic fragrance

threatens to envelop our obelisks glorifying death;

to the place where the seraphim of old long to steal your breath

only to resurrect you again,

because they adore your shell-shocked epiphany.

The twinkle of wisteria eyes that say star-struck goodbyes to winters long overdue.

Take me to some place new, yet still lingers with the scent of timeless truths.

Can you whisper epigrams in my ears yet still retain your sunflower youth?

And can such a place even exist

where I am me and you are you.

Is this dream of ours only a selfish wish?

Where our heart's desires

will never transpire,

but only take cues from Lazarus,

coming into our own like lilac lust.

I am told there is a beautiful gate

that leads to this tomb of ancient bloom.

Will you let me nourish this timid trust

and receive this skeleton key that dreams of wearing skin -

and if not now, of this would-be genesis ... when?

Please don't tease with someday soon,

but let these tumblers unhinge like zealous zephyr.

I know it will be all that you asked.

I know it will be, for my soul spoke so earnestly: give it a chance.

So won't you carve upon this granite heart

that longs for the easy rain of your embrace.

Etch upon these alabaster walls with love's italic hand,

the seven lettered splendor known unabashedly as FREEDOM.

Let it be the only thing

the angels care to dream,

when imagining eternity.

Let none atone

the only thing

set in stone."

~ A Tomb of Ancient Bloom by Timothy Hicks.


	2. Chapter One

The library situated in the Natural History Museum was nothing short of impressive and books were frequently added to it with almost every trip outside its walls. Books were seen by some as nothing more than a waste and only useful for fires, while others saw them as the holy grail and the only way they would be able to survive after the sickos were gone. What they couldn't learn from each other, they would learn from books.

Out of all the children who occupied the library on a daily basis – there was only one who everyone loved and found almost impossible to ignore.

She had the name like the moon, but she was more like the sun. She had a smile that could light up a room and a laugh that could give anyone butterflies. When she walked into a room, everyone's head turned, everyone stood up to talk to her. She was like this hybrid, this mix of a girl who couldn't contain herself and a girl who would miss out on all of the opportunities life could offer a girl as wonderful as her.

Perhaps that's why Chris Marker understood her.

He was quiet most of the time, didn't talk much but instead kept his nose in a book. But somehow, he always managed to talk to Luna, even if it was just a few words. They seemed to just have a mental connection, and both of them clicked as soon as they met.

Her name was Luna and she was the light of Chris's life, not that he would tell her. He was terrified she wouldn't feel the same way or think he was insane. But he did secretly show her how he felt, he'd leave her small notes of poetry in books he knew she would read, and a warm glow would appear in the pit of his stomach as he watched her read the notes.

Another thing he liked to do was watch Luna dance. Almost every day she would dance through the shelves of the library. Before the outbreak, Luna's life revolved around dance. She would spend every waking moment dancing as much as she could and even in her dreams, she would dance. It would be all she'd ever talk or think about, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Sitting on the cold floor of the library, Luna sighed as she looked at her pointe shoes flayed on the floor in front of her. She'd needed a new pair since before the outbreak and in fact was a few days away from getting a new pair, ones that would never arrive.

Sliding out of her battered converse, Luna placed her pointe slippers on and effortlessly began to dance through the shelves once she stood up, spinning endlessly to music she only heard in her mind.

She knew it was far too dangerous to actually play any music – the sickos would find them and slaughter them in a matter of hours. So until all the sickos were killed, she would have to hum softly or listen to the music in her head.

Chris would almost always watch her dance – from a distance, of course. He never wanted to disturb her while she was dancing, he wanted to watch her with the feeling like she didn't have to impress anyone.

Sometimes, she would catch him looking and would promptly blush and miss a few steps while he would almost run off and hide in some corner of the library and wait for her to come and find him.

After she'd finished dancing; she slid her converse back on and placed her shoes back onto an empty shelf. Almost like clockwork, Luna went to go find Chris. She knew where he would hide – he'd always be buried in a book he didn't particularly like and sitting in one of the old arm chairs, pretending to read but would always drop the book as soon as she arrived and would move to sit on the floor so the pair could sit together side by side.

Most of the time, the pair would sit in silence with Luna's head resting on Chris's shoulder and their hands holding each others. They would stay like that for hours, almost having a mental conversation with one another, completely lost in their own little world.

Once dinner time would come around, the pair would go their separate ways and pretend they had no interaction with one another whatsoever. Although, Chris has decided to tell Luna how he truly felt about her on World Book Day, a day that both of them had been looking forward to.

Of course, Luna had no idea what would be waiting for her on World Book Day, other than have a day to dress up as a fictional character and spend it with Chris, having fun.

In fact, none of the people attending World Book Day had any idea what was going to happen to them that day – and they would remember that fateful day for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

 _ **Note**_

Honestly, listening to classical music and scores from movies and TV shows is the best way to write this story just because of Luna's past as a ballet dancer – I dunno, it just helps me get into the feel of the story.

I'm going to try to focus on this story because I do want to keep this story short and get it over with since I've been seriously slacking on all of my stories recently.

I've also opened a page so if you guys want to support me (you don't have to!) and get some awesome rewards as well, my profile is; BuffyHasNoLife

Until next time;

Lorna.


	3. Chapter Two

World Book Day was the day many of the occupants of the library and the museum in general had been looking forward to. Well, most of them – some of the kids thought it was lame and saw no point in it.

Luna couldn't decide what she wanted to dress up as, so instead she just decided to wear a nice dress and if anyone would give her grief for not dressing up, she would simply say she was just there to have fun, nothing more and nothing less. She wore a dark red velvet apron dress with a slightly off-white long sleeved shirt underneath and while she didn't own any shoes to match (and was unable to find any in her size), she thought her converse would be okay.

Walking through the halls of the museum, most of the sounds she heard were her own – her breathing, her heartbeat and her feet gently tapping on the floor as she walked. She couldn't help but feel butterflies inside her as she walked down the halls, almost as if she knew something big was going to happen.

That feeling and her walking came to a horrifying halt when the screaming started.

Luna's eyes widened as she sprinted down the hall, towards the screaming, trying to keep herself calm even when everything inside of her was screaming at her to run away and panic.

Turning the corner, Luna came to a sliding halt as she saw a group of sickos slowly make their way towards her from the darkness. Luna watched in horror as their grotesque and decomposed faces came towards her, groaning and snarling in her direction.

Luna was still frozen in place when the teeth of the sickos sank into the skin on her arms and legs, causing her to scream as tears spilled down her pale cheeks. She finally managed to pull herself away from the sickos, blood gushing down her forearm and shin and spilling onto the floor once she was free.

Frantically running in the opposite direction, Luna desperately looked for Chris. "Chris! CHRIS HELP ME!" she screamed, tears spilling down her red cheeks. As she ran, she felt the bites start to burn up and she could already feel herself start to lose consciousness and become disorientated.

By the time Luna finally arrived at the library, she couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't, and she was terrified beyond belief. The doors to the library were closed and wouldn't open so Luna banged her hand against the wooden door, screaming and sobbing to be let in. Eventually the door was slowly opened, and Chris pulled her inside, quickly locking the door behind her.

The pair stood in front of each other for a moment before tightly embracing one another, Chris cradling Luna in his arms, tears falling down both of their cheeks.

Luna eventually collapsed in his arms, her leg finally giving way from blood loss and the bite. In a state of panic, Chris brought her towards the back of the library, their favourite spot and sat down, laying her in his lap.

"I don't want to die here," Luna whispered.

Chris shook his head, gripping onto Luna's body tighter. "You won't, you hear me? I won't let you die here. You'll be okay, we just need to hold on a little bit longer and we'll get you fixed up."

Chris looked down at Luna in his arms, her entire body was shaking and twitching uncontrollably. Something inside him knew she wasn't going to make it.

Ever since he met her, Luna had always been thin but being a ballet dancer, she had some muscle to keep her going. However, she'd since lost that muscle and had become so thin and frail, he was always afraid she'd break. But no matter how thin she was, he always thought she was beautiful – her bright blue eyes would always make him forget anything bad that was happening in the world outside.

But now those eyes were filled with fear and brimming with tears and there wasn't much he could do to comfort her other than hold her and tell her it was all going to be okay.

Chris looked at Luna in his arms, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "There's something I didn't tell you… something I wanted to tell you today… I've been the one to slip you notes in the books you read."

Luna gave him a shaky smile. "I secretly hoped it was you."

Chris smiled too before closing his eyes tightly, letting out a loud sob. "This is all my fault – I should've been there to stop this."

Luna reached up an arm, using the last of her strength to reach it to Chris's cheek, wiping away a tear with her thumb. "Don't blame yourself, Chris. It's not your fault," she barely whispered out before she took one last frantic gulp of air and her arm dropped from Chris's cheek.

Chris thought over her words, looking back down at her. "You're wrong, it is my fault – if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have come to celebrate World Book Day and you would've been safer."

The library doors soon pushed open and was revealed to be Brooke who sprinted inside, closely followed by the leaders of the Holloway Crew until everyone froze as they saw the scene before them.

Luna lay still in Chris's arms, blood covering a lot of her pale body and the floor around her, her once white t-shirt was now covered in dirty hand prints and stained with grime and dirt and blood, while her dress had been torn and ripped apart and had dark stains from the blood.

"We were too late," Maxie whispered, slowly stepping backwards.

Brooke slowly walked forward, tears forming in her eyes as she knelled down in front of Chris, trying to keep her voice steady. "Chris, I am so sorry."

Chris brought Luna closer to him, almost hiding her away from everyone else. "She's fine, she's just sleeping. She'll be fine."

Brooke gulped as she slowly tried to pry Luna's body away from Chris. "Chris, sweetheart, she's gone."

Chris only seemed to cry harder and grip her lifeless body more. "She's not!"

Brooke wrapped her arms around Chris as tightly as she could. "Let her go, sweetheart, it's okay, just let go."

Chris slowly started to sob, letting Luna go from his grasp and wrapping his arms around Brooke and holding onto her tightly while Luna was carefully taken away from him. The pair of them stayed holding one another, Chris sobbing his heart out into Brooke's shoulder while Brooke tried her best to comfort him.

The days after Luna's death, Chris retracted into himself and refused to do almost anything but read and sit in his chair or think about Luna. After the end of a long day, Chris walked through the shelves of books and came across an almost empty shelf and found two shoe boxes.

Opening one, he found Luna's old pointe shoes, exactly the same way she had left them. He looked at them for a moment before closing the box and opening the second.

Inside were two objects; a locket necklace and a book. Chris slowly picked up the slightly tattered book and opened it to the page that was bookmarked – the final page.

 _Oh, wondrous life! There is so much I wish to say to you but there are never enough words to use._

 _If I die, I die knowing I was loved. Do not mourn my death, rejoice in that I was alive. My memory will live on. Why? Because I lived, I loved, I was here. Remember me knowing that I was in love with a boy who was my Wonderland, my Romeo and my King Arthur._

 _Chris Marker, I love you._

A tear made a way down Chris's cheek as he read it – she loved him. She loved him and he never got to tell her that he loved her, too. And he would regret that for the rest of his life.

* * *

 _ **Note**_

I'm evil, I know. I'm sorry if this wasn't entirely canon, I haven't been able to read Geeks vs. Zombies and had to go off what people have told me and what's available on the wikia page.

But this is the end of Staying – like I said, this was just sort of a filler to pass the time. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Until next time;

Lorna


End file.
